We've Discovered The Route For The Ultimate Texas Barbecue Road Trip

You could make the drive from Dallas to Austin in three hours flat if you really wanted to. But do that, and you'll miss some of the best grub in the entire state. Texans love their barbecue something fierce, and the state's most celebrated joints call Dallas, Austin, and the small towns between the two cities home. Knowing this, there was only one thing for us to do: Hop in a car — a souped up GMC Acadia — and travel the roads ourselves. Along them, we found "dinosaur" ribs bigger than a human head, beef links in Texas's self-professed sausage capital, and meat-loaded Frito Pie beloved by Chip Gaines.

That's how we came up with this, our blueprint for the ultimate barbecue road trip through Texas, from Dallas to Austin. Tell us (nicely, please): Did we miss your favorite?

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Lockhart Smokehouse; Dallas

Chelsea Lupkin

Here, tradition fuels everything. The owner's grandfather founded Kreuz Market, a barbecue joint in the city of Lockhart — hence the name of this place. Two of the Kreuz (it's pronounced Krites) specialties, sausage and a cut called shoulder clod, are on the menu, as is every single other meat you could ever want: brisket, ribs, chicken, turkey.

Belly up to the counter to order. Your grub is wrapped in butcher paper, which serves as a placemat when you get to the table. And don't skimp on sides: brisket-stuffed deviled eggs and blue cheese slaw are unique favorites.

You can stick to a classic meat plate at Lakewood, but you'd be overlooking some of the restaurant's best bites — like the brisket cheesesteak. The behemoth dish is a take on Philly's iconic sandwich, but instead of steak, there's brisket, and instead of Cheez Wiz, there's spicy queso. Barbecue-forward pizza and tacos are on the menu, too. There's also a simple, vegetarian kale salad that seems almost sacrilegious at a barbecue joint — until you try it and realize it's so full of flavor, you don't miss the meat.

A pub setting — you order and eat at a table, not a counter and picnic benches — allows you to savor the meal instead of rush through it. Another thing that helps with that: the 20-something Texas beers available.

When Steve and Vanessa Graham retired from barbecue competitions, they set up shop here — a literal pit stop directly off Texas's Highway 287. The motto is "meat so tender, you can leave your teeth at home," and the phrase isn't hyperbole. When people rave about fall-off-the-bone brisket, this is the kind of stuff they're referring to. Order it or live with regret for the rest of your life.

Wednesday is PG Tater day, when the restaurant's signature item — a massive baked potato smothered in pulled pork, cheese, and barbecue sauce — is a $1.50 off. It's best enjoyed outside, where a trippy, candy-colored hog mural serves as the backdrop for local country crooners.

If it's good enough for Chip Gaines, it's good enough for you. The unofficial king of Waco likes this joint so much, he brought it to Magnolia Market in food truck form. But the original location is still packed on the regular, especially the outdoor seating area, designed by none other than Joanna Gaines.

The reason we've brought you here is the Gut Pak. It's essentially a loaded Frito pie — one that tips the scales at 2.5 pounds — and Chip's been a fan since his Baylor University days. On top of the chips, there's sausage (of the four homemade kinds, you should go with the classic German-seasoned one), chopped beef that's been smoked for 14 hours, pinto beans, Cheddar cheese and all the classic barbecue fixings — pickles, onions, and jalapeños.

Four generations of Meyers have left their mark on this company. Henry Meyer brought his sausage recipe from Germany to Texas in the late 1800s and finally opened a company — Meyer's Elgin Sausage in 1949. Nearly 70 years later, the stand-alone smokehouse restaurant is a must-stop right outside of Austin.

Sausage should be on your plate — because, duh — and you can choose between beef and pork. If links aren't your thing, there are a bevy of other meats: smoked ribs, lime chicken, trimmed brisket. Ask for a side of beans. They're self-serve out of a giant cauldron.

Mention Miguel Vidal's name around Austin, and you'll get a knowing nod and a slow smile in return. The guy has become barbecue royalty — even though what he makes is far from traditional 'cue. Everything on the menu at Valentina's, named after Miguel's daughter, skews either Tex or Mex.

If you're feeling Tex, you could get a sandwich stuffed with pulled chicken that may very well be the juiciest stuff in all of the Lone Star State. But go Mex, and you'll be surprised by beer-soaked beef fajita tacos or guacamole-topped brisket ones. The meat is killer — but it's the tortillas that'll have you ordering seconds. As for the classicists: Go ahead and order yourself a platter of meat served by the pound.

Terry Black's was famous before Michelle Obama organized a barbecue drop-off, but the vote of support definitely didn't hurt business. Even at what co-owner Mark Black calls "a slow time," the line stretches nearly to the door.

Once you get to the front of the line, you'll be confronted with the sides and desserts. Get some — the mac and cheese is spectacular — but save most of your room for the meat, which is cut-to-order. The sausage is great and the brisket is better, but if you miss the peppery ribs, you may as well have never come. The dinosaur rib — a beef short rib that's the biggest you've ever seen — will literally melt in your mouth.

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